The number of young women being admitted to A&E because of complications arising from female genital mutilation (FGM) is at record levels...

The number of young women being admitted to A&E because of complications arising from female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK is at record levels.

Although FGM is illegal in the UK (FGM Act 2003), it is estimated that there are approximately 24,000 girls who are still at risk of this harrowing procedure. No one has yet been successfully prosecuted – it is a hidden crime.

In contrast, France has jailed around 100 people for FGM in dozens of high profile cases.

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FGM is high up on the government's agenda. UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, aims to 'bring it [FGM] out into the open, smash the taboo and eradicate FGM within a generation'.

High profile campaigners include Somali supermodel, Waris Dirie, and politician, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who both experienced FGM when they were just five years old.

What is FGM?

'FGM is any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the female genital organs for non-medical reasons,' says Ayaan.

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'It is often performed on girls aged 4 to 14 to ensure their virginity until marriage.

'The people who are doing this are fathers, mothers, grandmothers and aunts.

'It was done to me at the age of 5, and 10 years later, even 20 years later, I would not have testified against my parents.

'No little girl is going to send these people to prison,' she said.

It is a taboo subject within families and happens behind closed doors, making it very difficult for police to detect.

FGM is prevalent in Africa, parts of Asia and the Middle East. Some second-generation girls born in the UK are sent to Africa to undergo the procedure.

Illegal in the UK

Although FGM has been illegal in the UK for nearly 30 years, recent figures reveal that 137,000 women living here have experienced it.

It often happens during school holidays on visits to extended family in African countries where the practice is routine – most commonly, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nigeria and Sudan.

Dr Sharon Raymond, a member of the NHS England Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Steering Committee and medical lead for North West London, Care UK, says, 'It is very hard to track cases of FGM and people are still nervous of offending people and their cultures.

'Within communities, it is seen as a rite of passage.'

Ayaan believes that the only way to stop FGM is for a female doctor or nurse to annually check at-risk girls after the school holidays. She believes this would relieve the child from the pressure of telling a teacher.

At the Girl Summit in 2013, David Cameron introduced a new legislation making it mandatory for people in the UK, including doctors and teachers, to report FGM.

This means it is now a crime for anyone in the UK, including parents, to arrange for a girl to be sent abroad for FGM.

The Metropolitan Police is focusing on gathering information about those committing the offences so they can rely less on victims having to give evidence – often against their loved ones.

Two people who have been charged with FGM offences in the UK are due to stand trial in January 2015 at Southwark Crown Court.

The Prime Minister is also introducing a £1.4 million prevention programme aimed at ending both FGM and child marriage.

This includes the creation of a new FGM unit and working with healthcare professionals to publicise the NSPCC's first FGM helpline.

'Mama tied a blindfold over my eyes. The next thing I felt was my flesh being cut away, I heard the blade sawing back and forth through my skin. The pain between my legs was so intense that I wished to die,' says Waris Dirie.

In 2013, Waris, who has starred in a James Bond film and modelled for Chanel, won a Woman of the Year Award for her anti-FGM campaign work.

Getting help

The NHS has specialist clinics around the UK to look after women who have been subjected to FGM, including reversal procedures. A GP's letter isn't always needed.

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